REVALUATION OF THE CITY AND ITS RESOURCES: AN ACADEMIC METHODOLOGY FOR ADAPTATION TO CHANGES IN URBAN LAND

The architectural project is at the center of the design studios at Pontifical Catholic
University of Ecuador's School of Architecture. This teaching methodology integrates
transversal tools that strengthen the concepts of social and technical sustainability.
Therefore, the architectural project can be a way to learn, investigate and analyze
potential solutions to problems found at various scales of the territory, from the
neighborhood to the city. The current development of cities is focused on finding,
through the architectural project, tools that can adapt to changes on urban land due to
present and future development. This article presents a teaching methodology based on
Project-Based Learning, which reflects on Quito’s public space, seeks to contribute to
the knowledge of the city, to explore leading ways to good practices for teachers and
future professionals and to contribute to that city’s urban renewal. The methodology
presented here is divided into four moments (conceptual, analytical, strategic, and
proactive) and three territorial scales (large, which entails a zonal analysis; medium, that
leads to the analysis of the neighborhood; and small, which includes the analysis of the
project’s site). This methodology allows for flexibility during the design process and
triggers conversations around a more prosperous city which revalues its resources.